HELLP
by Cristi0819
Summary: Ranger and Stephanie are married and expecting their first child.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters you recognize belong to Janet Evanovich. I'm just using them for fun.

A/N: This story is a lot different from anything I've written before. It will be a little sad and a lot emotional at times. It will also be entirely in Ranger's POV. This Ranger and Steph are married and settled. There will be a Babe HEA. I will explain the title of the story in a later chapter. I plan to post at least once a week.

HELLP – Ranger's POV

I walked into the seventh floor apartment on Thursday night, tired after a 3 day trip out of town and looking forward to seeing my wife. My wife. Even after 3 years of marriage those words both thrilled and astounded me. First, that I would ever get married again and second that the woman I had loved from mostly afar loved me back and eventually agreed to marry me. Stephanie Plum, my Babe, was now Stephanie Manoso and 8 months pregnant with our first child.

The pregnancy had been difficult. She had severe morning sickness during the first trimester and lost about 15 pounds. During the second trimester, when she was finally able to eat a little more, she developed appendicitis and had to have an emergency appendectomy. The surgery is usually fairly routine, but due to the pregnancy, it was more complicated and took Stephanie longer to recover than normal.

Over the past two months, Stephanie had gotten some of her energy back and had been able to eat more in moderate amounts. She still couldn't eat large amounts of food, which was very frustrating for her. My Babe loved to eat, but she had been completely deprived of being able to "eat for two." She had finally gained about ten pounds back and the doctor assured us that the baby was a healthy, normal size. This had been a major concern for us both. Steph would sometimes cry when she ate and immediately had to go vomit. She had taken to calling the baby "Batman Jr." and worried constantly that he wasn't growing at a normal rate.

The baby, who would be named Carlos Luca Manoso, kicked like crazy. Steph says he also flips constantly. So much so that she calls him "Flippy" for short. Stephanie says when he flips her stomach feels like she's on a roller coaster. One of my favorite things to do these days is lay face to face with her while she sleeps. I edge closer to her so that her stomach is pressing into mine and I can feel Luca when he kicks. It's an amazing feeling. I didn't experience any of this with Julie. I was young and self-involved then and Rachel and I didn't love each other, we were simply making the best of a bad situation. Julie and I have grown closer over the past few years, but there is no replacement for her younger years when I wasn't there. It will be different with Luca. I'll be a real father, not just a monthly check.

I had talked to Steph this morning and she wasn't feeling well. She thought she had eaten something that didn't agree with her. I called Bobby after talking with her and asked him to come up and check on her throughout the day. Neither of them had called back, so I assumed all was fine, but now I had the strangest feeling that something was wrong.

The apartment was quiet and dark as I entered. I dropped my things beside the door and walked through to the bedroom. I found Stephanie curled up on the bed, lying on her left side, facing away from me. I walked over to her and stroked my hand down the side of her face and placed a gentle kiss on her temple. She stirred in her sleep and turned to face me, opening her eyes. She gave me a sleepy smile and said, "You're home."

I gave her a kiss on the lips and said, "Are you feeling better?" I noticed that she looked more swollen than she did three days ago and she also looked a little pale.

Steph grimaced and said, "Not really, but I'm tired of complaining. I'm so glad you're home. I missed you."

"I missed you too, Babe." I said and then asked, "Did you call the doctor?"

She shook her head and said, "No, I know she's sick of talking to me and God knows I'm sick of calling. I think it's just something I ate. Hopefully it'll be better tomorrow."

I nodded and said, "Get some sleep. I'll be right beside you as soon as I get cleaned up."

By the time I got out of the shower, Stephanie was sound asleep again. I grabbed my phone and walked into the kitchen so I wouldn't disturb her.

Bobby answered on the first ring and said he had been expecting my call. "Ranger, I'm not an obstetrician, but what Steph's complaining about sounds perfectly normal for the end of a pregnancy. Her back is hurting and she's getting nauseous again. Her feet are swelling and she's very tired. I was concerned that her blood pressure is going up a little. It's not registering as high, but it's a little higher than normal for her. I'll be up there at breakfast to check her blood pressure again."

I asked questions about the blood pressure and Bobby noted that Steph's blood pressure tended to run low and that's the only reason he was concerned. I also asked if there was anything else we needed to do. He replied, "I think we should call the doctor in the morning and ask for blood work."

When I asked why this was necessary Bobby explained, "It's just a precaution. High blood pressure in pregnant women is known as Pre-eclampsia. In severe cases, kidney function can be compromised. I'm just trying to make sure nothing else is going on that we don't know about."

I thanked Bobby and hung up. I crawled in bed and contented myself with putting my hand on my wife's stomach. It wasn't comfortable for her to be held anymore while we slept, but I enjoyed feeling both her and our son, particularly after being gone for a few days.

The next morning I woke as Steph got out of bed to head for the bathroom as fast as possible. I knew she felt like Luca was kicking at her bladder every morning. She came out a few minutes later as I was getting dressed and said, "Carlos, call Bobby."

I looked up in alarm and said, "What's wrong?"

"I'm urinating blood." She said.

I grabbed my phone and told Bobby to get up to the 7th floor right away. While we waited for him, I grabbed Steph a bottle of water and an orange juice and muffin. She looked even more pale and swollen today. I insisted she sit on the sofa will her feet up to minimize the swelling. Bobby was there within 5 minutes. He slid down onto the coffee table next to Steph's feet and started asking questions. Steph told him about the bloody urine, but said urinating wasn't painful. She did say that her back was hurting worse today and she just generally didn't feel well. Bobby took her blood pressure and said, "It's up a little more from yesterday. I'm going to give Dr. Foster a call."

Bobby stood up and walked into the kitchen. I sat down next to Steph and took her hand in mine and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. She looked up at me and I could see the tears in her eyes. "Babe, everything's going to be fine."

She shook her head and said, "Ranger, something's wrong. I can feel it." Steph tended to revert back to calling me Ranger when she was stressed. I didn't know much about problems in pregnancy beyond what we had already been through. I'd read the books with Steph when we first found out she was pregnant and I knew that there were many things that could go wrong. That, coupled with her good instincts about her own body had me on edge as well, but I was determined to help Stephanie remain calm. I cupped my hand under her chin to get her attention and said, "Babe, we've got the best medical care available. If something's wrong, we'll find it and take care of it." She nodded and laid her head against my shoulder to wait for Bobby to return.

Bobby walked back in after about 15 minutes and said, "Steph, we need to go see Dr. Foster."

She looked up at him and said, "Does she know what could be wrong?"

He shook his head and said, "She just wants to look you over and do an exam to make sure everything is okay. She'll do some lab work and check you and the baby over."

Steph nodded and went to get dressed. I exchanged glances with Bobby and asked quietly, "Does the doctor think this could be serious?" Bobby looked down for a moment and then faced me saying, "It's a possibility. Dr. Foster said she would know more after she draws blood. She'll also do a pelvic exam and hook you up to the fetal heart monitor." I nodded and went to check on Steph. I found her sitting on the chair in our bedroom, sliding her feet into a pair of Birkenstocks. She noticed the look on my face and said, "They're the only shoes I can get my feet into." She was also wearing Capri pants and a short-sleeved shirt.

"Babe, its 30 degrees outside," I reminded her. She replied, "I know, but I'm burning up." I knew that this was normal, so I just smiled and took her hand as we headed for the garage.

We got to the doctor's office and didn't have to wait more than 2 minutes. Stephanie, Bobby and I walked back and the nurse immediately put a fetal heart monitor on Stephanie's stomach and gave her some juice to drink, telling her it would encourage the baby to move around a little more if she needed to do an ultrasound.

In a moment, we heard our baby's heartbeat. There were also strange sounds, loud and off-rhythm, so unlike the heart beat sounds we were accustomed to hearing. Stephanie and I both looked up at the doctor. She smiled and said, "It's okay. He's got the hiccups."

Steph's voice was shaking as she asked Dr. Foster "Is he okay?"

Dr. Foster put a hand on Steph's arm and said, "He's fine. Everything looks good. I'm going to draw some blood and then we'll talk about how you've been feeling."

Once the doctor had drawn the blood, Stephanie explained, "I've been more nauseous lately and a little dizzy. The pain in my back is getting worse, too. Bobby also mentioned that my blood pressure is going up a little."

Dr. Foster asked, "Where is your back pain?"

"On the left side, around my shoulder blade. I'm also starting to hurt right here." She placed a hand just under her sternum in the middle of her upper abdomen.

I added, "She's also been exhausted and seems more pale and swollen than when I left a few days ago."

Stephanie asked, "Do you know what could be wrong?"

Dr. Foster sighed and said, "I have some ideas, but I'd rather wait until we have your blood work back before we look at those possibilities. I don't want either of you worrying yourselves sick over what could be wrong. Right now Stephanie and the baby are okay. I'd rather not cause any undue stress for either of them right now."

Although I wanted to know her professional opinion, I was willing to concede that Stephanie, at least, if she knew what might be wrong, would worry herself into further illness. She's already spent so much time worrying during this pregnancy that I didn't want her to feel any more anxiety over what could be wrong before we actually had a definitive answer.

"What now?" I asked.

Dr. Foster looked at Stephanie and said, "For now, I want you on complete bed rest. Your blood pressure is rising and bed rest will help keep it down. Lay on your left side as much as possible as it helps the blood flow and helps to lower blood pressure. I only want you up to use the bathroom and shower. I'm sending the blood tests out right now, but we probably won't get an answer on them until tomorrow at the earliest and Monday at the latest."

I nodded and said, "Is there anything else we need to do?"

Dr. Foster suggested that Bobby keep an eye on Steph's blood pressure until we got the lab results back. The doctor shook my hand and gave Stephanie a hug, assuring us that everything would be okay. We drove back to Haywood mostly in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. I resolved to pamper my wife as much as possible over the next few days. She would need the pampering to get through forced bed rest. I also made plans to have a television and some movies brought into the bedroom. When we moved in together, we had both agreed not to have a T.V. in the bedroom, but these were special circumstances and Stephanie would need the comfort and familiarity of some of her favorite movies.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All characters you recognize belong to Janet Evanovich.

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and kind words. I forgot to thank a few people in the last chapter. Margaret Fowler and Stephfan6511 were kind enough to look over early drafts of this story and offer much needed comments, suggestions and encouragement. Thank you both so much. My dear friend and incomparable super-beta, FairTaxGirl, has spent months hashing over this story with me and keeping me going when I wanted to drop it. You're the best, Babe!

HELLP Chapter 2

When we got home, Steph changed into a loose fitting t-shirt and shorts and climbed into bed, with a look of miserable resignation on her face. A few minutes later, Ella brought lunch and several movies in. Tank and Lester were behind her with a flat screen T.V. that they set up on the dresser in the bedroom. Lester sat on the bed and talked quietly with Steph for a while. The two of them had gotten closer over the years and Tank and I had dubbed them the "Terrible Two" behind their backs because they seemed to have so much fun getting into trouble together. They were ten times worse than she and Lula had ever been, mainly because Lester was much more devious and sneaky. Lester handed Steph a plastic bag, kissed her on the forehead and walked over to me. He gave me a worried look and said, "Call me if I can do anything, even if she just needs entertaining for a while." I nodded and bumped fists with him as he and Tank left.

I took Steph her specially requested smoked turkey sandwich from Ella, along with a bottle of water and a small fruit salad. Normally, she would have had a few pickles and some chips with her lunch, but Bobby had reminded us that with her blood pressure rising, she needed to limit the salt intake. I sat down next to her and said, "What's in the bag Lester left?"

She grinned and opened the bag, pulling out about 20 assorted comic books, including Batman, Wonder Woman and The Justice League. "Lester thought I should start reading Batman Jr. more appropriate material."

We sat quietly and ate. Steph ate about half of her sandwich, but ate all of her fruit and drank all of her water. She looked over at me and said, "I'm scared."

My arm was around her shoulders, so I pulled her to me and said, "Me too, Babe. But you've got a great doctor and once we get the lab results back we'll know more and can plan a course of action."

She smiled and said, "This is a baby, Carlos, not a recon mission to Columbia."

I gave her a smile and said, "I realize that, but a good plan is always helpful."

She shook her head and yawned.

"Babe, do you want me to put on a movie for you?" She shook her head and said, "No, I think I just want to take a little nap." I gave her a kiss and bundled her under the covers, telling her to call for me if she needed anything.

I walked into the nursery that we had decorated last month. It was painted a soft, baby boy blue. The furniture was a deep mahogany with a glider with beige fabric in the corner. The bedding and accents in the room were of different types of animals; elephants, giraffes, lions and tigers. Stephanie and I had painted large block letters that spelled out Luca and now hung on the wall. A large family baby shower had supplied all the diapers, wipes and clothes we could possibly need for the first year of his life. It was a beautiful room for a baby and I couldn't wait to see Luca in it.

I was in my home office and had been working on the schedule for about an hour when I heard moaning coming from the bedroom. I walked in to find Stephanie tossing around in her sleep. I put a hand on her shoulder to wake her and when she opened her eyes, tears poured down her cheeks.

"Babe, what's wrong?" I asked, startled.

"My back. My back is killing me." She said.

"Where does it hurt?"

"Around my left shoulder blade. It feels like it's on fire."

I put my hand on her back and started to rub the area that was aching, but she cried out and told me to stop. "Don't touch it, it hurts."

"Would a heating pad help?" I asked.

She nodded and I went to the bathroom to get the heating pad. I set it up and wedged a pillow behind her back to keep it in place. When I looked back down at her face, she was still crying silently.

"I'm going to call the doctor." I said. This wasn't normal.

She shook her head and said, "We just saw her a few hours ago and I told her about this pain then. It's worse now, but she said she'd call when she gets the lab results back."

"What about something for pain?" I asked.

She said, "Carlos, I can't take anything while I'm pregnant."

I replied, "Babe, you can take Tylenol."

She glared at me and said, "The only thing I've taken through this whole pregnancy is pre-natal vitamins. I have no intention of changing that until I go into labor."

"Stephanie, I understand that you don't want to take anything, but pain can make your blood pressure rise. It's safer to go ahead and take Tylenol than to let this raise your blood pressure any further."

She gave in and took the Tylenol, but she wasn't happy about it. About 45 minutes later, she had relaxed enough to drift back off to sleep and I stepped out and called Bobby.

He answered after one ring and without a greeting I said, "Bobby, she's in a lot of pain. It's in her back around the shoulder blade. Is this normal?"

Bobby hesitated for a moment before saying, "No, it's not normal, but I don't know exactly what it means. I don't exactly have a lot of experience with pregnancy."

I sighed and said, "I told Steph I would call Dr. Foster, but she wants to wait until the lab results come in. Do you think that's wise?"

Bobby responded, "I know you don't want to wait, but Dr. Foster won't know anything else until she gets the results in. If Steph is in severe pain, she can take Lortab. It's been proven to be safe in pregnancies."

I replied, "She won't take it. I barely got her to take the Tylenol."

Bobby said, "Just keep her as comfortable as you can. Next time she's awake, give me a call and I'll come up and check her blood pressure."

I thanked Bobby and hung up. I worked for the rest of the afternoon, checking in on Steph periodically. She was sleeping a lot, but obviously needed the rest.

About 5:00 I heard her get out of bed and go into the bathroom. All was quiet for a few minutes and then I heard her retching. I waited outside the bathroom door, trying to give her some privacy until she was finished, but she never got finished. After about 10 minutes, I went into the bathroom and saw her kneeling on the floor. I felt my heart jump into my throat as I saw blood trickling down from her mouth.

I rushed over to her and knelt beside her. She was pale and shaking and didn't notice me until I brushed her hair out of her face and said, "Babe, what happened?" After all our years together, I'd never seen Stephanie so sick or so weak. I would never voice it aloud, but I was terrified.

She sat there for a moment, seemingly too exhausted to speak, but finally croaked out, "Carlos, I don't ever remember being this sick in my life. I don't understand what's wrong. I'm throwing up blood and my back has started hurting again and now I'm hurting here, too." She placed her hand between her breasts, at the bottom of her sternum.

I stood up and got a warm, wet washcloth and helped her clean up. "Babe, I'm going to get Bobby up here and then we're calling Dr. Foster. There's no reason for you to have to suffer like this." I picked her up and carried her back to the bed. I went back to the bathroom and got a cool, damp cloth for her head. She felt feverish.

When Bobby got there he checked her vital signs, noting that her blood pressure was rising and she did have a slight fever. He and I called the doctor together, using the speakerphone in my office. The doctor answered herself and I explained who I was.

"Mr. Manoso, I was just about to call you. I got the lab results a few minutes ago and I need you to bring Stephanie to the hospital right away."

A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews for the first chapter. If you didn't get a personal response from me, then your PM's are turned off, but please know I appreciate the time you took to leave a review.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All characters you recognize belong to Janet Evanovich.

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and kind words.

HELLP Chapter 3

I felt my heart jump into my throat as I asked, "What's wrong? What does the lab work show?"

Dr. Foster said, "Stephanie has a very rare complication called HELLP Syndrome. It stands for Hemolysis, Elevated Liver Enzymes and Low Platelets."

Forcing myself to remain calm, I asked, "And what does this mean?"

"The most immediate problem is that the tests show that Stephanie is in liver failure. That's the most likely cause of her back pain. Her liver is enlarging, preparing to rupture."

"I…" I couldn't remember a time in my life that I hadn't known what to say or do, but I was at a loss. Fortunately, Bobby took over. "Ranger, go get Stephanie up and dressed. We need to get her to the hospital right away."

The commanding note in Bobby's voice shook me into action. I went into the bedroom and saw Steph lying down, watching me walk in the door. I took a deep breath and said, "Babe, Dr. Foster wants to get you to the hospital."

Her eyes widened and she nodded, sitting up slowly. I helped her dress in loose yoga pants and a t-shirt. I grabbed her hospital bag that we had packed over a month ago and walked behind her out of the room. Bobby was waiting for us. He looked at Stephanie and smiled, saying, "Bomber, the next time you come in this apartment, Batman Jr will be with you."

She looked between Bobby and me and said, "So I'm definitely having the baby today?"

Bobby nodded and said, "We'll fill you in on everything the doctor said on the way to the hospital."

I could see Stephanie was starting to panic. She looked like she was barely standing upright. I put my arm around her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips and said, "Babe, you and Luca will be just fine. I'll be right there with you the entire time."

She nodded and leaned into me, but didn't say anything more. We got to the garage and I sat in the back of the Yukon with Steph, letting Bobby drive. I was terrified about what was going on with Steph's body, but thrilled at the prospect of meeting my son today.

Steph reached for my hand and asked Bobby "What did Dr. Foster say?"

He replied, "She'll explain it in more detail when we meet her at Trenton Memorial, but you have something called HELLP Syndrome." He explained what the letters meant and continued, "Bomber, you're in liver failure and your kidneys show signs of shutting down, too. Your platelet levels are also very low and this puts you at risk for severe bleeding."

I was watching her as Bobby explained the problems and her eyes went wide and she clenched my hand tighter and whispered, "What about Luca? What will this do to him?"

This time, I answered and said, "Babe, the tests you had this morning show that Luca is fine. He's healthy and strong."

"But?" she asked.

Bobby said, "But, delivery is the only option right now and it'll have to be a C-section."

She replied, "But he'll be five weeks early. Isn't there something they can do to give us a little more time?"

Bobby looked at her in the rearview mirror and said, "Bomber, you're pretty damn sick right now. They've got to get Luca out and take care of you."

Stephanie didn't seem to know what to say, so she settled in against me, feeling stiff and tense. I stroked her hair with one hand and used the other to tip her face up to me. "Babe, everything will be fine. You and Luca have the best care available."

She nodded mutely, but didn't relax. I knew I didn't have the words to make her feel better, so I concentrated on touching her as much as possible, trying to let her know that I was here and would be right beside her the entire time.

We arrived at Trenton Memorial and Bobby let Steph and I off at the entrance to get her registered. When Bobby walked in the door five minutes later, we were already being shown to a room. A nurse walked in behind us and said, "Mrs. Manoso, Dr. Foster will be here shortly, but she's already given us instructions about your care. If you'd please take off all your clothing and remove any jewelry, we'll get started. I'll give you a few minutes to settle in and I'll be right back."

Bobby excused himself while Steph changed into one of the hospital gowns and slid into the bed. She was functioning on auto-pilot at this point, too nervous and afraid to do more than what she was told. Normally she would have made a few smartass remarks about hospital attire or maybe the bossiness of the nurse, but today she said nothing. I pulled the covers up over her and said, "Babe, is there anything I can get you?"

She chewed on her lip for a moment and then said, "Carlos, we need to make some calls."

I nodded. Honestly, with the way it happened, I hadn't even thought of calling anyone. I just wanted to get her to the hospital and make sure they were both okay. "Who do you want me to call?"

"Call our mothers and Lula. Once they get here, I'll have Mom call the rest of the family and tell them she'll keep them updated. I'd really rather not have Val and Mary Lou and all the kids up here, just our parents, Grandma Mazur and Lula."

Personally, I'd rather not call anyone until Luca is here, but we had both promised our mothers that they would be the first to know when Steph went into labor. I also thought Steph could use the support today. Hopefully Grandma Mazur and Lula would be on their best behavior.

I texted Tank and asked that he and Lula come to the hospital. They had started dating again about 8 months ago. They were both happy and I was surprised to find that they complimented each other well. He curbed some of her outrageousness and she helped him learn to relax. Lula was also fiercely protective of Stephanie. The history they shared had bonded them hard and fast and they had grown closer over the years. As for Tank and I, there was no one I trusted more to have my back. I needed him here, though I would never say it aloud.

Next, I called the Plum home. I was a little relieved that Frank answered the phone. I quickly explained that there had been unforeseen complications in the pregnancy and Steph would be having the baby today. He said tightly, "We'll be there in 20 minutes," and hung up. I wasn't lucky enough to have my father answer the phone when I called my childhood home in Newark. Mama answered and I explained what was going on. Mama promised to bring her rosary and said she and Grandma Rosa would be at the hospital in about two hours. My father was not at home, but she would call him to let him know what was happening. My call list was done. I knew Bobby and Tank would take care of alerting the rest of RangeMan.

With my calls done, I turned back to Stephanie. She was lying on the bed with her eyes closed and her hands rubbing her stomach. I walked over and knelt beside her, putting my hand over hers on her stomach. I whispered, "We'll see you soon, hijo." I tightened my grip on her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles and pulled her hand up to rest against my cheek. We stayed like that, drawing comfort from one another until we heard a soft knock on the door.

Dr. Foster entered with two nurses. She sat down at the foot of the bed and Steph gave her a small smile in greeting. Dr. Foster gave Steph's leg a squeeze and said, "I saw Bobby in the hallway and he told me he had given you the basics of the situation." Steph nodded and the doctor continued, "Stephanie, you're in liver failure right now and your liver could rupture at any time, putting both you and the baby at risk. We've got to deliver the baby as soon as possible. Unfortunately, your platelets are also extremely low and this puts you at risk for hemorrhaging during surgery. You're going to need a platelet transfusion. I've ordered the platelets from a company in Newark and they should be here any minute."

Looking at me and then Stephanie, she silently waited for our cue to continue. When we both gave a small nod, she said, "For right now, I'm going to start you on an IV of Magnesium Sulfate. This will help get your blood pressure down before surgery. This medicine will probably make you feel really hot and maybe a little more weak or nauseous. I can give you some Zofran in your IV for the nausea, but there's nothing I can do about the weakness."

Steph asked, "Is the medicine safe for the baby?"

Dr. Foster nodded and said, "Yes, it's safe for the baby, but for you it's really the lesser of two evils. The Mag Sulfate goes through the kidneys and that's a problem. Your kidneys are close to shutting down, too, so we have to be careful about how much we give you. However, if we don't give it to you, your blood pressure could spike during surgery and you could have a seizure."

Dios, the hits just keep coming. "When will you do the surgery? It sounds like Stephanie is in more danger the longer we wait." I knew this wasn't the doctors' fault, but I needed someone to be angry with and right now she was the only option. I didn't know what to do in this situation. I couldn't bark out orders and hunt down a psychopathic killer to save the day. I couldn't do anything, but watch my wife suffer.

The doctor remained calm and said, "We'll do the surgery as soon as the platelets have been transfused. It's too big of a risk to attempt surgery before the transfusion. The HELLP Syndrome prevents Stephanie's blood from clotting correctly and we don't want to do a blood transfusion unless absolutely necessary." She looked at Stephanie and I both in turn and said, "We're doing everything we can to make sure this happens in the safest way possible for both mother and child. But there is something I haven't mentioned yet, because I knew it would probably be the hardest thing you've heard so far."

I felt myself hold my breath. I couldn't imagine what else could be coming. I squeezed Steph's hand as the doctor continued, "Because of the low platelets, I can't give you a spinal injection. You're going to have to have general anesthesia for the delivery."

I closed my eyes, knowing what this meant. Stephanie wouldn't be awake to see the baby. I wouldn't be allowed in the operating room, either. I opened my eyes to look at Steph and I could see tears starting to pool in her eyes. She looked at me and then the doctor and said, "But that means I won't get to see the baby right way."

Dr. Foster nodded and said, "Yes, it does. But as soon as you are stable, we will either bring the baby to you or we'll take you to him. Mr. Manoso can watch the surgery through the observation window and I'm sure he'll take plenty of pictures of little Luca so that you can see what he looks like right away. I know this is heartbreaking Stephanie, but it's the safest way to do this for both you and the baby."

Steph nodded, but didn't seem capable of saying more. I leaned back on the bed and pulled her into my arms. I knew she was terrified and on overload. I couldn't think of anything to say and I couldn't remember ever feeling this useless in any situation.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All characters you recognize belong to Janet Evanovich.

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and kind words. Many thanks to my super-beta and dear friend, FairTaxGirl. She has listened to me ramble about this story for months and now spends her own time fixing my mistakes. Love you, Babe!

HELLP Chapter 4

Dr. Foster walked out and the nurses started setting up the IV line. When they were finished, Tank and Lula walked in. Lula went to Steph and Tank came to me. He didn't speak, just observed me and laid a hand on my shoulder. I watched Lula and Steph talk for a moment and Tank said, "Mr. and Mrs. Plum were pulling up right behind us."

I nodded and told him my mother and grandmother were on their way as well. Bobby walked back in and examined the IV line and told us the platelets should be here in about half an hour. I walked back over to the bed and dropped a kiss on Steph's forehead. She turned to me and I could see the worry in her face. I sat down and held her hand as she and Lula talked. Lula was doing a good job of keeping her mind off what was coming, so I was glad she was there.

A moment later Mr. and Mrs. Plum and Grandma Mazur walked in. They all immediately went to Steph and hugged her. Then Helen went to the corner of the room, pulled out her rosary and started praying. I was sure my mother would join her as soon as she arrived. Lula looked at Helen and rolled her eyes. I'd heard her tell Steph that the Catholic rituals were "creepy."

After a few minutes of watching the chaos of so many people in the room, I locked eyes with Stephanie and knew she needed a break. I was about to ask everyone to give us a few moments alone when the nurse walked in and cleared the room, saying she needed space to get the platelet transfusion started.

I walked over to Steph's other side and sat down next to her, holding her hand while the nurse started the platelets. She finished quickly and turned to Steph, asking, "Mrs. Manoso, you're looking a little flushed. Are you feeling okay?"

Steph shook her head and said, "I'm starting to feel really hot, like my skin is on fire. It's getting worse." It must've been getting worse, because she was starting to twitch and look really anxious.

The nurse said, "This happens a lot with the Magnesium Sulfate. I can bring you a fan. That seems to help most patients." She turned to me and said, "If you'll get a cool wash cloth and rub her face, neck and arms, that'll probably help, too."

While the nurse finished her work and left, I quickly went to the small bathroom and got a cool wash cloth. I started with her face. She was starting to look like she had a bad sunburn. Steph was starting to cry again and said, "Carlos, it burns. It feels just like when Eddie Abruzzi burned me with that poker, except it's all over my body."

"Babe, I'm so sorry. Give me just a minute and I'll get something that will help." I strode to the door and stuck my head out, searching for Tank. He was just outside the door, leaning against the wall. His head snapped up and he moved to attention immediately when he heard me open the door. "I need a bucket of ice, ASAP." Tank gave a short nod and took off down the hall. Approximately thirty seconds later, I had a large pink bucket of ice. I dipped the wash cloth into the ice and started rubbing Steph down again. This time she got some relief and was able to relax a little. The nurse brought the fan in and that helped her to cool off even more. She still looked flushed, but appeared more comfortable than before.

I lowered my face to hers and touched our foreheads together. This reminder of our connection usually helped calm Steph down, but we'd never faced anything like this before. She gave me a shaky smile and said, "I love you, Batman." I smiled back and gave her a gentle kiss. "I love you, too, Babe."

She gave me the go ahead to let everyone back in. I stepped out into the hall and found that my mother and grandmother had arrived. They each latched themselves onto a side of me and squeezed. I enveloped them in a hug and turned to face the gathered group. "You can all come back in, but we need to keep the noise to a minimum. Stephanie is going through a lot right now and she needs our support, not drama."

I saw Helen and my grandmother give me a withering look, but everyone nodded and followed me back inside. My mother and Abuela Rosa went to Stephanie and hugged her, whispering words of comfort. My family had been quick to accept and fall in love with Stephanie. They knew she had helped me rescue Julie once upon a time and that alone would have been enough to cement their love for her, but they also knew that she had helped me to become more open and get closer to the family once again and for that, she could do no wrong in their eyes.

Steph's family had taken a little longer to come around. Her father and grandmother were happy for us, but her mother and sister didn't quite know what to think. They were polite but oddly formal with me for a long time. It had improved, but went away completely when we announced that Stephanie was pregnant. The Plum's weren't really an affectionate family like the Manoso's, but over time, I had come to feel that they cared about me in their own way.

I watched as Mama and Abuela each took one of Steph's hands and told her that God would take care of her and Luca and they couldn't wait to meet him and start spoiling him. Mama had also brought some of my baby pictures with her and seemed to enjoy showing my wife pictures of my bare butt. I endured this only because Stephanie was laughing and it was taking her mind off of the problem at hand. However, once we cleared this hurdle, I'd plan a search and destroy mission of all embarrassing childhood photos.

There was a knock at the door and Dr. Foster and a nurse came in. Dr. Foster said, "Stephanie, it's almost time. We're going to start the second bag of platelets and when it's half transfused, we can go ahead with the C-section. The surgery will only take about 15 minutes. The anesthesiologist will be along in a moment to talk with you. Do you have any questions?"

Stephanie cleared her throat and said, "No, I don't think so." Dr. Foster looked at me and I shook my head. She left quietly and the anesthesiologist, Dr. Rock, came in right behind her. He gave us a brief description of the anesthesia he would use and explained that they would monitor her blood pressure throughout the procedure.

When Dr. Rock left, Mama stood up and said, "Let's give these two a few minutes alone. It'll be a long time before they're alone after this." Everyone agreed and came to wish us the best before they filed out to the family waiting room.

"I love you, Pumpkin." Frank said, as Helen leaned in for a quick hug. "I'll have a Pineapple Upside Down Cake ready for you as soon as I can." Steph smiled at her mother's attempt at affection. My mother and grandmother gave her a quick hug and kiss and then Grandma Mazur stepped up and wrapped her arms around Steph. "The next time I see you, you'll be a mother. I love you, Baby girl."

Steph smiled and teared up and said, "Thanks, Grandma. I love you, too."

Tank and Lula both said quiet goodbyes and walked out, leaving me alone with my wife. I looked at her and said, "I'll be watching through the window the entire time." I leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. "I wish I could take this pain for you, Babe. I'm so sorry this pregnancy has been so difficult for you."

Stephanie had my hand in a vise grip. She kissed my knuckles and said, "It'll all be over soon and we'll have a beautiful little boy to show for it."

I said, "You know, your grandmother was right. The next time we see each other, we'll be parents."

Stephanie looked up at me and asked, "Will you lay down with me for a little while?"

I nodded and maneuvered myself around the IV's and automatic blood pressure cuff. I put one arm around her and cradled her against me. We didn't talk. Both of us were trying to absorb comfort and strength from the other. All too soon, the nurses walked in and said it was time. I looked down at Stephanie and pressed my forehead to hers. "I'll be right there with you. I love you."

She gave me a trembling smile and said, "Don't get shot, Batman."

I grinned at her reference and said, "Try not to get too crazy, Babe."


	5. Chapter 5

HELLP Chapter 5

Disclaimer: They belong to Janet Evanovich. I hate that bitch.

A/N: Thanks to FairTaxGirl, Margaret Fowler and Stephfan6511 for offering suggestions and support for this story. FairTaxGirl, thanks for the Beta work!

I held her hand down the hallway as far as I could go. When we reached the operating room, I leaned down and kissed her forehead, the tip of her nose and then her lips. I held her eyes for a moment and then had to let go. I turned to the anesthesiologist and said, "Take care of my wife." In a different situation, I would have added, "or else" to that sentence. It was hard for me to allow someone else, even a doctor, to have control over my wife's well-being. I had to hand it to the guy, though, he gave me a solemn nod and a "Yes, sir," before closing the doors to the operating room, effectively shutting me out.

I walked over to the observation window just as a nurse opened the curtain. I could see Stephanie watching and listening to Dr. Rock. She was nodding her head. The rest of the room was full of activity. Surgical techs were setting up monitors and covering her with sheets, leaving the area for the C-section open. Dr. Foster entered from a door inside the room. She had gloves and a mask on already. She went to stand next to Steph's head and spoke for a moment. She stepped away and an oxygen mask was placed on Stephanie's face. Dr. Foster then pointed at me at the window and Stephanie turned to see me. I couldn't make out her expression behind the mask, but she held my eyes for a moment until hers drifted shut.

The surgical team continued to make preparations and I watched as they inserted a catheter and then ran a tube down Steph's throat and sterilized the area where they would make the incision. Dr. Foster looked over at me and nodded. She then took a surgical tool from the tech next to her and made an incision in the bikini area. A short while later, the doctor pulled out my son. I felt my heart clench. He closely resembled a small screaming blob, but he was mine and he was beautiful. I could see lots of jet black hair, but that was about it.

I watched as the nurses weighed him and started cleaning him off. They then took him out through a side door. I turned back to see them still working with Stephanie. After a while, they stitched her up. A moment later Dr. Foster came out and said, "Congratulations, you have a healthy baby boy. He was born at 1:35 pm and weighs 4 pounds 11 ounces and is 17 ½ inches long. We're taking him to the NICU, but only because of the low birth weight. We didn't see any problems in the initial exam and he scored 9 out of 10 on the Apgar test. Stephanie did fine through the surgery and we'll be moving her to recovery in a moment. She'll be in recovery for about 30 minutes and after that we'll move her back to her room. She's going to be groggy for the rest of the day, but hopefully by tonight, she'll feel up to seeing the baby."

I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until the doctor finished speaking. They were both fine. "Can I sit with Steph in recovery?"

She gave me a smile, but shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. Family members aren't allowed in recovery. But, I can take you to meet your son."

While I was desperate to see my son, I also felt a little guilty about seeing him without Stephanie. I knew that she was counting on me to be there for him, though. I allowed the doctor to show me the way to the NICU. She stopped at the door and explained that I would have to scrub my hands and put on a gown, hat, shoe covers, mask and gloves for the protection of Luca and the other infants.

After scrubbing up and donning the protective gear, I was led through the NICU. There were tiny babies hooked up to ventilators and others laid out under lights. I had never imagined such small babies in my life. It was heart-breaking and terrifying to see. Dr. Foster rounded a corner into a small enclosure where three nurses surrounded a small, black haired baby. My baby.

Dr. Foster said, "Mr. Manoso, meet your son." One of the nurses stepped aside so that I could move closer. I stepped up and stared down at him for a moment. He was squirming and whimpering a little. His skin tone was a few shades lighter than mine and his hair looked as soft as silk. I looked at his hands and feet, counting ten fingers and ten toes. I looked at his face. His eyes were closed, but I could make out my bone structure in his cheekbones and jaw. His mouth, though, was pure Stephanie. He had a beautiful, cupid bow mouth.

As I stood there, one of the nurses started an IV in his hand and wrapped it with soft tape. I looked over at the nurse and she said, "His blood sugar is a little low, which is normal in pre-mature babies. We start an IV as a precaution." She then swaddled him in a blanket, looked at me and said, "Would you like to hold him?"

I nodded slowly and one of the nurses pointed out a chair in the corner of the room. I sat down and watched as she picked up my son, still squirming slightly, and gently put him in my arms. I took a moment to enjoy the feel of him in my arms and then looked down at him. He seemed to relax against my body. I looked him over, taking in all of his features again. I pressed a kiss against his forehead and breathed in his scent. I said, "Hello, Luca. I'm your Daddy. We've been waiting for you. Your Mommy is a little under the weather right now, but she'll be here as soon as she can. Te amo, hijo."

I sat there with Luca, just holding him and talking softly with him. One of the nurses said, "Would you like us to take some pictures for you?"

"Yes, please." I replied, handing them my camera. They took several pictures of Luca and I and then handed me a picture that they had taken when he was first brought to the NICU. He was laid out on the table, without even a diaper on yet. This would be the first of his many naked photos, I assumed. I pocketed it, and my camera, to show the pictures to Steph as soon as she woke up.

After giving him another kiss, I handed Luca back to the nurse and went to wait for Stephanie to be brought back to her room. When I got to the door of the room, there was a blue teddy bear hanging from a wreath that held a small hand-painted sign that said, "Protected by RangeMan, Inc." Throughout the wreath, there were small plastic replicas of hand cuffs, guns and pepper spray interspersed with the more traditional baby bottles and rattles. I grinned and said "Lester" under my breath before making my way inside.

I waited only ten minutes before Stephanie was rolled into the room. The nurses positioned the bed and the equipment and then turned to me, "She's still a little out of it, but she's waking up for a few minutes here and there. Her blood pressure is up and we've got a cuff attached to take a reading every ten minutes. She's been given pain medication, but when she wakes up she can also use the morphine pump once every seven minutes. It doesn't matter how many times she pushes it, it will only discharge medicine every seven minutes."

I nodded at the instructions. The nurse finished and said, "The unit nurse will be in off and on to check on her. If there are any problems, just push the call button." She left and I walked over to Stephanie and brushed her hair back out of her face and kissed her lips gently. She stirred a little, but did not wake up.

Over the next few hours, Steph was in and out of consciousness. She was not alert enough for me to show her the pictures of Luca, but she did manage to ask about him once. She was a lot more sedated than I had expected. Most of the family came in and out at intervals to see her. Stephanie's parents and my mother and grandmother had gone for dinner and would be back later. Tank and Lula were sitting with us right now, but thankfully, Lula was quiet.

I looked over at Steph and noticed that she was becoming even paler. She still couldn't open her eyes for more than a moment and couldn't seem to get many words out when she did wake. I pressed the call button and asked the nurse to come to the room.

It was the 3-11 nurse, Mary, that came. She had been in and out of the room all afternoon and seemed both efficient and competent. I told Mary about Steph seeming extraordinarily pale and more sedated than we expected. Mary checked Steph's pulse and looked at the blood pressure readings and said, "I'm going to step out for just a moment and call the doctor. I'll be right back."

I wanted to stop her to ask questions, but I also knew that we needed to get the doctor here. My questions could wait.

I didn't know what was coming, but my instincts told me it was bad. I looked down at my wife and did something I hadn't done in years. I prayed.


	6. Chapter 6

HELLP Chapter 6

Disclaimer: They belong to Janet Evanovich. I hate that bitch.

A/N: This was a very difficult chapter to write. Most of you that have reviewed know that this is a very personal story for me. Thank you again for the reviews and comments. Many thanks to FairTaxGirl for listening to my rambling about this for so long and for her excellent skills as a beta. You're the best, Babe!

_Previously:_

_I didn't know what was coming, but my instincts told me it was bad. I looked down at my wife and did something I hadn't done in years. I prayed._

Mary was back in five minutes and came in with another nurse. While the other nurse started checking Steph, Mary asked to speak with me outside. When I stepped into the hall, Mary said, "Mr. Manoso, Dr. Foster is on her way. She said it would take her about 20 minutes to get here. Stephanie's blood pressure is dropping. Her pulse is somewhat weak and her respirations are dropping as well. The other nurse is drawing blood right now and that will give us some answers."

I was floored. What was happening here? "What kind of answers? I don't understand what's happening. Stephanie was fine right after the C-section. I thought we were through the riskiest part."

Mary replied, "Usually the surgery is the biggest risk, but with HELLP Syndrome, complications can develop after delivery."

"What kind of complications?" I asked. I felt, rather than heard, Bobby step up behind me.

The nurse looked uncomfortable and said, "Mr. Manoso, I really think it would be best if you waited for Dr. Foster to answer those questions."

Bobby picked up the conversation and said, "Is there a possibility that she's hemorrhaging? "

The nurse nodded and said, "Yes, that is one possibility."

Bobby continued, saying, "If that is a possibility then we don't need to waste time waiting for the doctor. You can call her and get a verbal order for an ultrasound or whatever else is needed to check for hemorrhaging."

Mary, looking a little deflated, said, "Yes, sir. I'll call right now."

I looked over at Bobby and nodded my thanks. I was out of my element here and his expertise was invaluable.

As the nurse left to call Dr. Foster, Bobby and I stepped back into the room. We went to opposite sides of the bed, with Bobby examining the various machines surrounding Steph. "Ranger, Bomber's blood pressure is down to 90 over 60." He looked around further and reported that her respirations were also falling and were wavering between 20-22. The nurse that took the blood told us that it would only take about 15 minutes to get the results and then she stepped out to take it to the lab.

Tank and Lula had been sitting quietly, observing. When the nurse left, Lula stood up and said, "Ranger, what's wrong with my girl?" Her voice was quivering and Tank walked to stand next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

I looked over at Lula and sad, "We're not sure what's happening right now, but Stephanie is not doing well. We're waiting on the doctor and more tests."

Lula started sniffling and said, "What's going to happen to her?"

Tank spoke up and said, "Baby, they're doing all they can. Let's step out for a little while and give them some room to work." I gave Tank a look of thanks.

When they were gone, Bobby said, "Ranger, I think it's probably likely that she's bleeding somewhere, most likely from her uterus. With HELLP Syndrome, the blood can't clot properly. We'll know for sure once they do the ultrasound and get the results."

Dios, my Babe was in trouble and I'm sitting around with my thumb up my ass. Just as I was wondering who I would need to call to get faster service, Mary walked back in. She had a young man with her, pushing a small machine on a cart and said, "This is Chris and he is an ultrasound tech. He's going to do an ultrasound of Mrs. Manoso's abdomen to check for any internal bleeding."

Bobby and I stepped aside so the tech could do his job. He finished in a few moments and said he would have the results ASAP. He and the nurse stepped out and I approached Stephanie's bed. I put my hand on her forehead and noticed that she felt cool, too cool. I ran my hand over her hair, thoughts of her being in pain consuming me. I knelt beside her and took her hand in mine, bringing it up to press a kiss against her knuckles.

Bobby said, "Boss, I'm going to give you a minute alone. I'll be right outside the door." I heard him, but didn't respond. I don't know how long I stayed there on my knees, holding Stephanie's hand against my cheek, before it occurred to me that she may be able to hear me. "Babe, if you can hear me, just hold on. Help is coming and we're going to fix this. We'll do whatever we've got to do to fix this. Just hold on."

"I can't wait for you to see Luca. He's beautiful. He's got my hair and he's a few shades lighter than me. He has your mouth and from what I've heard so far, he's got your lungs, too. I told him that you would be there as soon as you could. He's healthy, but small, so he'll be in the NICU for a few days. Honestly, that's not a bad thing, because it's safer than the regular nursery. I know you're probably rolling your eyes at me right now." It felt good to talk to her, so I continued, "You're going to laugh your head off when you see the wreath that Lester got for the door. It's got blue feathers and along with all the regular baby stuff, it's got toy handcuffs and pepper spray. I can only imagine what we'll see when we get Luca home. I told Ella to not let Lester get too out of hand with the decorations."

Before I could say more, there was a brisk knock at the door at Bobby walked in, followed by Dr. Foster. She was holding several papers in her hand and looked over at me with a look of resignation on her face. Bobby came to stand beside me. Dr. Foster said, "Mr. Manoso, I have the results of the ultrasound. It looks like Stephanie is hemorrhaging from the uterus. We're going to pack her with gauze because it's the fastest way to stop the bleeding, but also it will hopefully preserve her uterus for any future pregnancies."

I nodded and said, "What about the low blood pressure?"

Dr. Foster said, "I need to examine her."

Mary stepped back inside the room and Bobby stepped out as Dr. Foster removed the sheet covering Steph and put her legs in the stirrups to examine her. The doctor gave the nurse instructions while she was doing this, "Take her blood pressure manually and then find out where the lab results are." I watched as Mary took a blood pressure cuff off the wall and put it around Steph's arm. She seemed to be listening very hard. She finally said, "Doctor, her blood pressure is down to 60/40." Dr. Foster finished the exam and said, "Get me 4 units of O- packed red blood cells STAT."

As Mary ran out to get the blood, another nurse came in and said, "Her Hemoglobin is down to 7.8, Hematocrit is at 22."

Dr. Foster went into trauma mode and said, "She's bleeding out. Get the blood, now."

I watched, in a daze, as the doctor and Mary pushed down on Steph's stomach. They said it was to get any excess blood from the hemorrhage out so that they could pack the site.

I looked up to see Mrs. Plum, Mrs. Mazur and Lula walking in the door. A moment later, the doctor yelled, "Get me a crash cart!" and I saw the heart monitor move to a flat line and heard that horrible, tinny sound of the alarm.

My knees went weak. I couldn't lose her.

A/N: My beta warned me that leaving the story here would be hazardous to my health. I promise to update again ASAP.


	7. Chapter 7

HELLP Chapter 7

Disclaimer: They belong to Janet Evanovich. I hate that bitch.

A/N: I tried to rush this, since the death threats over my little cliff-hanger were getting to be a bit much. Thanks for reading and for the love of Ranger, leave a review. As always, thanks to FairTaxGirl for being my beta and sounding board.

_Previously:_

_I looked up to see Mrs. Plum, Mrs. Mazur and Lula walking in the door. A moment later, the doctor yelled, "Get me a crash cart!" and I saw the heart monitor move to a flat line and heard that horrible, tinny sound of the alarm. _

_My knees went weak. I couldn't lose her. _

The only thing that kept me from hitting my knees was the sound of intakes of breath and gasps coming from the three women who had just walked in the door. I knew they were Stephanie's family and that this was likely to break their hearts, too, but I couldn't take my concentration off of my wife long enough to offer them any words or explanations.

I heard Mrs. Plum begin to chant The Rosary and spared them a glance to see Lula and Grandma Mazur clutch hands, tears in both of their eyes.

I watched as the doctor retrieved the paddles from the crash cart. I'd watched this happen too many times on missions and knew what was coming next. They spread gel on the paddles and then put them to Stephanie's chest. My own heart stopped as I watched my wife's body jerk with the electricity. A moment later, the flat line sound stopped and a slow beep indicating her heart beat started up. This time, I did hit my knees.

Another nurse came running in, carrying a bag of blood. The doctor turned to us and said, "You can stay in the room, but only if you don't get in the way. Please stay against the wall."

There was no way I was leaving. They'd have to shoot me and carry me out of here, but I would stay out of the way so they could help my Babe.

I watched as the new nurse began hooking up the blood to the IV pole and got it started in Steph's IV line. I felt someone kneel beside me and put a hand on my arm. I didn't look around, but I heard Lula say, "Batman, our girl is strong. She's going to be fine." Then she began to pray.

"Lord, I know I don't come to you as often as I should, but this is important. This woman saved my life, in more ways than one. Please don't take her from us. Please don't take her from Ranger and her new baby. They need her. We all need her. Please, Lord, take care of your child, Stephanie Plum Manoso, and bring her back to us. We beg of you, Lord, bring our girl back to us. In Jesus name we pray, Amen."

Lula sagged against the wall and cried. Mrs. Mazur and Mrs. Plum stood, huddled together, saying The Rosary. My eyes remained on Stephanie. They had the blood hooked up and they were working to pack her uterus to stop the internal bleeding. Mary was constantly taking her vital signs and reporting them out loud. Her blood pressure was now 50/30, with her respirations at 12. Her pulse was thready and the machines weren't able to pick it up, so they were doing everything manually.

I heard Mary tell the other nurse to get a new bag of blood and watched as they switched them out. I felt that I was watching everything from very far away. As if I wasn't a part of it, wasn't in the same room. As if it wasn't real. A part of me thought that if I just kept watch over her, if I just didn't let her out of my sight, she would be fine. She would pull through this. She's Wonder Woman, after all. I felt a bizarre urge to laugh at that thought. Stephanie would be pleased at the reference to Wonder Woman.

"Blood pressure is up to 70/45, respirations at 16!" Mary shouted. "Pulse is now reading at 55 on the monitors."

Wonder Woman.

I grabbed Lula and hugged her. I looked over at Dr. Foster and she said quietly, "I think she's out of the woods now. It may take a little while for her blood pressure to get back up to normal, but she's recovering nicely." I nodded, unable to speak. "We're going to give her another unit of blood after this one finishes and we'll monitor her closely. Mary will stay in the room while the blood is transfusing and I'll be just down the hall." I nodded again and then clasped her hand and said roughly, "Thank you." Seeming emotional herself, she nodded and stepped out the door.

I walked over beside the bed and leaned down to kiss Stephanie's head. I brushed her hair out of her face and pressed my forehead to hers. Her skin felt warmer and she had a little more color in her face. I had to fight the urge to lie down beside her and pull her to me. I settled for placing my hand on her chest and feeling the steady rise and fall of her breaths. I put a finger to her neck and felt the comforting, strong heartbeat and knew that she would make it.

Grandma Mazur came to stand beside me. She stepped up to me and whispered, "Would you mind giving Helen a moment alone with Stephanie? I think she needs it." I looked over at Mrs. Plum. She was not an affectionate woman, but I knew that as Stephanie's mother, this had to have hit her hard. She was still in shock and was looking at Stephanie with a longing only a mother knows. I agreed with Grandma Mazur and said aloud, "I'm going to go visit Luca for a few minutes. I'll be right back." As I passed Mrs. Plum, she looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said quietly, "Thank you." I saw her approach Stephanie's bed and take her hand before I walked out the door, Grandma Mazur and Lula right behind me.

They stayed in the hallway as I made my way to the NICU. I passed the waiting room and was surprised to see a wave of black. At least 12 of my men were sitting there. I watched, stunned, as Tank told the men to bow their heads and led them in a prayer for Stephanie. It was a quick prayer, but it reminded me how much my men loved my wife. When Tank raised his head, he saw me and I stepped into the room. Every man present stood at attention. Bobby approached and said, "Boss, how is she?"

I had to clear my throat before answering, "She's going to be fine. They got the bleeding stopped and her blood pressure is rising steadily." Several of the men yelled in relief, but my eyes were on Lester. I watched as he sat heavily in his chair and put his head in his hands. After a moment, he looked up at me and had tears in his eyes. I felt my own eyes burn. I briefly clutched his shoulder and then walked away.

When I reached the NICU, I did the hand washing and gown routine and then went to find Luca. He had been moved to a quieter area of the unit and was sleeping peacefully. I hated to disturb him, he had been through a lot today, too, but I just had to hold him for a moment.

I gently picked him up and sat down in the rocking chair provided. I relished in his weight against my chest. I gave him a soft kiss on his head and breathed in his sweet, baby smell. Whispering to him quietly in Spanish, I said, "We had a close call with Mommy, mijo. She's going to be fine now, but it was close, too close." I felt a single tear slide down my cheek and said, "I don't know what I would do without either of you. Daddy loves you, Luca." I laid him back down and ran my hand over his small body, memorizing his shape and size.

I wiped my face with the back of my hand, took a deep, calming breath and headed back to my Babe.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: They belong to Janet Evanovich. I hate that bitch.

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews for the last chapter. They meant a lot to me. The last few chapters were very emotionally exhausting for me, so I took a few days off from the story. There are only 2-3 chapters left for this one. I promise a comedy or some fluff for my next story. Thanks to all of you who have stuck in there with me for this story. Thanks again to my beta-extraordinaire, FairTaxGirl.

HELLP Chapter 8

It was about midnight and I was alone in the room with Stephanie. Both of our families and most of my men had finally gone home for the night. I had a man stationed at each entrance to the unit and one outside the room, but no one else besides medical staff would be entering her hospital room again for at least 7 hours.

I was thankful that my body was accustomed to going without sleep because I was ready to drop. The letdown from the earlier adrenaline rush was hitting my body and mind hard, but I knew that Stephanie could wake up any moment and I wasn't going anywhere.

I jumped up as I heard the sound a low moan coming from the bed. I watched as Steph slowly opened her eyes. "Babe," I said, relief evident in my voice. She turned toward the sound of my voice, though I could tell it took her a moment to focus. I brushed back her hair and kissed her forehead.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

She croaked out, "Water." She had to be thirsty. It had been so long since she'd had anything to drink. Plus, the intubation tube usually makes the throat sore.

I picked up the bucket of ice the nurse had brought in a little while and shook some into a cup. "I've got some ice for you. It'll help your throat feel better." I fed her a few teaspoons of ice and she motioned for me to stop.

"How's the baby?" she asked.

I sat beside her and said, "He's beautiful and healthy, Babe. Just wait until you see him." I pulled the picture the nurses had taken out of my pocket and held it up for her. Her eyes filled with tears and she said, "He looks just like you."

I watched as she wiped her eyes and said, "Can you take me to see him?"

"It's the middle of the night, Babe, and I don't think you need to get up yet. You're body's been through a lot in the last 24 hours."

Stephanie thought for a moment and said, "I'm dying to see him, but you're right, I feel like hell. I feel like I've been beaten from head to foot. I thought only the female parts would be sore. What happened?"

Shit. Some part of me expected her to just know what had happened. I don't know why, she was unconscious. "There were some complications…"

Before I could continue she let out a gasp and said, "But you said Luca was healthy!"

I shook my head and said, "I wasn't talking about Luca, I was talking about you. Luca is healthy. He's fine. You got very sick after the surgery. "

She looked at me for a moment and then said, "But I'm okay now?"

I nodded and said, "Yeah, Babe. You're okay now."

She nodded slightly and said, "Is there more ice?"

I smiled and held up a spoonful of ice for her.

For the next several hours, Stephanie would doze for a while and then wake up and ask for more ice. We talked a little, but not about anything of any importance. She was still pretty loopy and wasn't able to focus for long. She finally fell into a deeper sleep around 4:00 and slept through until 6:30. When she woke up, I had a bowl of warm, soapy water ready and washed her face, neck, arms and hands. She moaned and I knew I'd been right about what she needed. I also got her a toothbrush and toothpaste and then tried to help her brush out her hair a little.

When I eased the head of the hospital bed up, I noticed Stephanie wincing from the pain of changing positions. She was willing to use the Morphine pump for pain, but didn't want me to ask the nurse for anything else, saying she wanted to be alert when she saw the baby.

At 7:00, Dr. Foster and the morning nurse came into the room.

Dr. Foster said, "Good morning, Stephanie. How are you feeling?"

Steph replied, "I've been better, but I'm dying to see my boy."

Dr. Foster gave her a small smile and said, "I know you're ready to see him, but I don't think you're up to it today. I think you should wait until tomorrow. We don't want you to do too much too soon."

I could see that the doctor was trying to be kind, but there was no way this was going to work. Surprisingly, Stephanie just said, "I'm going to see my babe."

The doctor tried again with, "You know, when I had my twins I got up too soon and almost passed out in the NICU. The nurses had to get a wheelchair to bring me back to my room."

Steph's eyes narrowed slightly and she repeated, "I'm going to see my baby. Now."

Dr. Foster looked like she was getting ready to argue more, so I stepped in. "My wife needs to see our son. I understand that you are concerned about her welfare, but this will not wait any longer."

The nurse, in a fit of misplaced helpfulness said, "Mrs. Manoso, why don't I bring you some breakfast first and then we can see how you're feeling." She had a falsely cheerful voice and I could see Steph's rapidly approaching rhino mode.

She narrowed her eyes further and said, "Look, either help me or get the hell out of my way. I'm going to see my baby whether you like it or not."

The two women finally seemed to realize that they were making it sound as if Stephanie wasn't allowed to go see our child yet. They relented and the doctor explained, "We'll help you, Stephanie. We didn't mean anything by it. We're just concerned for your health." Stephanie was still angry and didn't acknowledge her words.

Rather than risk her standing yet, I picked Steph up and placed her in a wheelchair. The nurse adjusted the catheter that was still in place and she still had a saline drip, so the IV pole had to come, too. Dr. Foster was concerned that her oxygen level hadn't quite returned to normal, so we had a portable oxygen tank with us as well. We looked like a portable medical unit walking down the hallway.

When we got to the NICU I helped Stephanie scrub her hands and add all the required protective gear and then rolled her over to Luca's cubicle. When we reached his isolette, Stephanie sat there staring for a moment and then reached her hand in to run her fingers down his cheek. She looked at his fingers and then his toes and then looked up at me with tears in her eyes. "Will you put him in my arms, please?"

I reached out and picked him up and gently put him in her arms. She was very weak and I stayed close in case she needed me to take him.

I watched as Steph raised him to her face and took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. She then placed a kiss on his forehead and his cheek and said, "Hello, Luca, I'm your Mommy. I can't believe I'm finally getting to meet you. I'm so sorry I didn't get to see you and hold you yesterday." She sat there holding Luca and unconsciously rocking a little in her wheelchair. I wanted her to have this moment with him, so I tried not to intrude. After a few moments, she looked up at me and smiled that breathtaking smile that I love so much and I leaned down and kissed her and then Luca.

"Oh, Carlos, he's beautiful." I nodded and said, "He is beautiful. He may look a lot like me, but he's got your mouth and when you hear him cry you'll know he got your lungs, too." She choked out a little chuckle and said, "I don't think we could've made a more perfect child."

Before I could respond, one of the nurses came in and said, "I know it's the first time you've been able to see the baby together. Would you like me to take a picture for your first family photograph?"

Stephanie and I both nodded and she used the unit's camera and then emailed it to me. I'd make sure to send it out to all of our family and friends later.

Stephanie was starting to look increasingly tired, but she didn't want to leave yet. She finally agreed after I promised her we would come back to see him later in the day. She gave him another kiss and whispered, "Mommy loves you" and I put him back in his little bed.

We made our way back down the hallway, some of the staff stopping us to tell Steph they were glad she was doing better today. She looked a little confused, but mostly just smiled and thanked them. As we got to her hospital door, I knew the second she noticed the wreath. She laughed and then cradled her stomach because the laughter made her hurt. She looked up at me and said, "Lester?" I smiled and said, "You got it, Babe."

When I opened the door to her room, we saw Lester standing there, nervously waiting for us. He beamed at Stephanie and gave her a gentle hug. "Beautiful, I'm so glad to see you up and around. You had us all worried for a while." She kissed him on the cheek and said, "I'm glad to see you, Les. Thanks for the wreath. I can guarantee no other mother on this floor has one like it." I helped her back into bed and the nurse quickly adjusted all of the medical paraphernalia that we had been travelling with. I noticed she leaned down and asked Stephanie something quietly and then stepped out of the room.

I raised my eyebrow at her and she said, "Pain medicine" and then turned her attention back to Lester. I watched her closely for signs that she was getting overly tired or in severe pain. About 20 minutes after the nurse brought her pain pills, Lester and I looked over at her and she was completely out and snoring a little bit, not that we would ever tell her about the snoring part.

Lester looked over at me and said, "Ranger, is she really going to be okay?" I nodded and said, "I'm sure it'll be a tough recovery for her, but yes, she's going to be fine."

Lester let out a sigh of relief and said, "I'll stay with her for a while if you want to go get some rest."

I shook my head and said, "Thanks, but I'll be here until she goes home." Lester only nodded and made his way to the door.

Throughout the day both of our families visited, along with Connie and Lula. The Merry Men brought Stephanie flowers and chocolates, as well as a meatball sub and two dozen donuts. Our mothers had apparently gotten together and decided that Stephanie needed foods high in iron. They brought steak sandwiches and spinach and artichoke dip, as well as several bags of dried fruit. Mrs. Plum also bought 4 Pineapple Upside Down cakes. She must have cooked all night. She said she wanted to bring something for the nursing staff that was so good to Stephanie last night.

The food certainly woke Steph up and she enjoyed the company, though she tired easily.

Five days later Stephanie and Luca were discharged together. He had gained enough weight at 5 pounds to be discharged. I was glad because neither of us wanted him to stay in the hospital after Stephanie was discharged.

Stephanie had a hard time for the first few weeks. She was very forgetful and still very weak. All of this was to be expected after what she went through, but she couldn't seem to accept that. After two weeks at home, she came to me one night after we had just put Luca back down after a middle of the night feeding and started asking questions. Up until then, she had not asked any questions about what happened in the hospital. She didn't seem to want to know, so I never pushed it.

She asked me for details and I told her everything. When I got to the part about her flat lining, she grabbed me and held me. I knew it was hard for her to hear and expected her to be upset, but she said, "Carlos, I know that had to be horrible for you and for everyone else, too. I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

I pulled her arms from around my neck and said, "Babe, you're the one who went through it."

She shook her head and said, "No. I don't remember anything. Even if I did remember some of it, it's harder watching that happen to someone you love." She thought for a moment and said, "The happiest day of my life was having our child, no matter what else happened. It's easier for me because I don't have the memories of it that you have."

"I'll tell you anything else you want to know." I said.

"No," she said. "Unless you need to talk about it, I'd rather not."

I nodded and we lay down together in our bed and I was struck again at the thought that we were now a true family. Stephanie's head was against my chest and I had one arm around her. After a few moments, she looked up at me and said, "I'm the luckiest woman in the world. I'm married to a man I love so much that there have been times I thought my heart would explode. And now we have a beautiful, healthy baby boy. I couldn't ask for more."

I smiled and pulled her back against my chest and said, "Me neither, Babe."

A/N: Just the epilogue left now. I hope to post it this weekend.


	9. Epilogue

Disclaimer: They belong to Janet Evanovich. I hate that bitch.

A/N: Thanks to all of you who read and reviewed and PM'd me throughout this story. I can't tell you how much it means to me. It has been emotional for me at times to tell this story of my son's birth, but it was well worth it. A special thank you to FairTaxGirl for her super betaing skills and friendship. Love you, Babe.

HELLP Chapter 9 – Epilogue

Stephanie's POV – 4 years later

It was hard to believe that four years had passed since Luca had been born. He is a healthy, happy, mischievous little boy and Carlos and I couldn't love him more. When he turned 4, we enrolled him in a pre-school program. Up to that point, he had stayed with my mother or Ella when I was working. Imagine our surprise on the first day of pre-school when he decided he would dress all in black. When we got to his class, he went to the corner of the room, folded his arms across his little chest and surveyed his new territory. I guess everyone needs to channel their inner Ranger sometimes. Within a few days he had made friends and had his first kiss from a little blonde haired, blue eyed girl named Sarah. The next day, his teacher sent a note home saying that Luca had started calling Sarah, "Babe." Carlos had a little talk with him after that, though I think he was secretly proud of his little player.

My mother adored Luca, of course, but my father was in love with his only grandson. Dad started taking him to baseball games and the lodge when he was still a lap baby. Now Luca keeps him company when he's working on a car or watching hockey on television. We catch him telling Luca things like "Only buy American cars. Buicks are good." He's also teaching him a little Italian along the way. Luca is already fluent in Spanish, but Dad wants to make sure he knows about his Italian roots, too. Carlos' parents have been wonderful. Luca spends a night with them about once a month. He's got cousins close by in Newark and enjoys playing with them.

As for me, I never went back to bounty hunting after Luca was born. I do a little bit of everything at RangeMan, except for field work. I had significantly cut down on it even before I got pregnant, but was surprised that I never missed it. I thought that I would go crazy with paperwork and ringing phones and monitor duty, but the business end of RangeMan allowed me out of the building enough that I didn't feel as stifled as I had in the past. Carlos also didn't work as much as he had in the past. He still worked hard and he still put in at least 60 hours a week, but now if he went out of the country, Luca and I were with him and it was for a vacation, not a mission.

The first year after Luca was born was tough for me health-wise. My blood pressure was erratic and my liver was still enlarged. The normal fatigue of new motherhood didn't leave me after a few months and I discovered I was severely anemic. I started iron supplements and began getting weekly B-12 shots from Bobby and that helped.

Because of the problems immediately after delivery, I was unable to breast feed Luca. My milk just didn't come in. The doctor assured me that formula was fine for Luca, particularly since he was under-weight when we brought him home, but I felt a tremendous amount of guilt about not being able to nurse him.

Of course, my hormones were utterly crazy, too, and at times I felt like a raving lunatic. I was slowly convincing myself that I was going insane. Once, I needed time out of the house and I needed to get some diapers and other supplies for Luca. Lester went with me to the store. He wandered off while I was looking at baby stuff. I was standing there staring at breast pumps, feeling dejected, when a young man walked up next to me and started talking about his wife nursing their child. I burst into tears. The poor man looked at me like he'd rather take a bullet than be stuck in Target with a crying, hormonal woman. Unfortunately, Lester picked that moment to come back. He looked at me crying, and then looked at the man standing next to me and knocked him out cold. That shocked me into silence, for about 60 seconds. Then I started laughing. Then I laughed till I started hiccupping. Then I cried all over again. Lester wrapped an arm around me and said, "Come on, Beautiful. I'll buy you a drink."

The drink was a large chocolate milkshake and Lester proved once again that he is a God among men. He convinced me that I wasn't crazy, that every one of his sisters and cousins had gone through the same hormonal craziness when they had their children. He told me I would feel like myself again soon and that until then, if anyone bothered me, just to let him know. Of course, Carlos had told me this himself a million times, but in my crazy post-partum haze, I just thought he was telling me what I wanted to hear.

They were both right, of course, and soon I felt normal again. Carlos was even more over-protective than usual for a while. I knew he was struggling with what had happened in the hospital and I tried not to fight him on it. In time, he relaxed back to code yellow and we were both easier to live with.

After Luca's first birthday party, Carlos and I were cleaning up after everyone left and I looked at him and said, "Do you want to have another baby?"

I saw him close his eyes for a brief moment and he looked at me and said, "I was wondering when we'd have this conversation."

We sat down and talked and he told me that he'd done a lot of research on HELLP Syndrome after Luca and I came home. He said that there was a 25% chance that the same thing could happen again. He didn't say one way or another if he wanted another child, but his eyes were pleading with me not to take the subject any further.

I thought about it a lot over the next few weeks. My main concern was Luca. Although Julie was his older sister and they adored each other, she was significantly older and lived far away. It wasn't like he had a sibling to play with and fight with and love living with him. I didn't want him to be alone. In the end, it was Lula who had the wisest words for me. We were having lunch at Pino's one day and I told her I'd been thinking about having another baby. I told her about Carlos' concerns and about my worry about Luca having a sibling. She looked at me for a while and then said, "Steph, don't risk taking his mother away to give him a brother or sister." Her words hit me the way nothing else had and that night I told Carlos that I didn't want to try for another baby. His relief was palpable. The next day he scheduled a vasectomy and that was the end of the subject.

We recently celebrated our eighth anniversary. We left Luca with Carlos' parents and took a weekend away by ourselves to Point Pleasant. It was far enough away that we didn't have to deal with our everyday lives, but close enough to Luca that we didn't have to worry about getting back in a hurry if something happened. We enjoyed wonderful, adult meals out together, lay on the beach and made as much noise as we wanted in the bedroom. It was heaven.

Sometimes it is still hard to believe that this is my life. I look back at Carlos and I and how long we circled each other before we finally admitted our feelings, and I smile, thinking if we only knew then what we know now, we would have gotten our shit together much faster. He still infuriates the hell out of me sometimes and I still annoy the crap out of him from time to time, but if anything, we love each other more today than on our wedding day.

The events in our shared lives have bonded us together more closely than I could ever have imagined. If anything, Luca strengthened and deepened that bond. He was our gift from God and we couldn't imagine our lives without him.

The End


End file.
